CONCORD, N.C. — Roush Fenway Racing driver Trevor Bayne, who won the 2011 Daytona 500 and then missed part of that season because of fatigue and double vision, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Bayne, who drives full time in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing and part time in Cup for Wood Brothers Racing, has been cleared by doctors to continue racing, and the 22-year-old is still slated to run for the Nationwide title next year in a Roush car sponsored by AdvoCare.

“I’ve never been more driven to compete,” said Bayne, who is sixth in the 2013 Nationwide standings heading into the season finale this weekend. “My goals are the same as they’ve been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I feel good.

“There are currently no symptoms and I’m committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible."

In 2011, Bayne missed five weeks of racing after experiencing fatigue, numbness and double vision. It was initially thought to be complications from an insect bite or Lyme disease. At the time, tests appeared to be inconclusive. Bayne’s younger sister also has multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system that can lead to the loss of mobility, numbness and blindness.

Bayne, who said he has had no symptoms since June 2011, has undergone extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota because he wanted to have a diagnosis, which he finally received in June shortly after winning the Nationwide Series race at Iowa.

“There could have been local Lyme’s on my elbow and that’s why at the time we were like, ‘That’s what it is,' and it was an easy thing because I did have the rash on my arm from a bug bite," Bayne said. "I don’t know if the two are connected. I’m not a doctor and I wouldn’t want to make that call, but they wanted to do more research because I wasn’t satisfied with not knowing, so as a competitive person and as a racer you guys know how we work.

"We want to know how everything works and causes and effects, so I just kept going back for checkups and this is what it has led to.”

Once he got the diagnosis, Bayne said he took a while to comprehend the situation and decided this was the time to go public with it so he can talk freely about it when he speaks to groups.

"I think anybody that gets a diagnosis is going to sit back and think about it," Bayne said. "What does this mean? What does it mean to my family? What does it mean to me and my partners? Our team.

"The more and more I thought about it and the more and more I realized that I was fine, the more and more it sunk in that everything is going to be OK.”

Bayne is not taking any medication and hopes that a healthy diet and lifestyle will keep symptoms from returning. He said he did not believe the disease nor the medical testing has impacted his performance this year.

“My hope is not to ever have symptoms again," Bayne said. "Obviously, there are people who have gone with completely normal lives with MS and I hope to be one of those people. Nobody knows exactly what the future holds for anybody, but, for me, I trust that whatever God has planned for me is what’s best for my life.

"I’d love to be healed. That would be perfect if that’s what He plans for, but, if not, then we’ll move on day by day."

Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark said that Bayne's health has not been an issue when courting sponsors, and AdvoCare has no issues with having Bayne — the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 as he won it the day after his 20th birthday — being its driver.

“We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car,” said Roush Fenway co-owner Jack Roush. “I have full confidence in Trevor and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support.

“As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his young career.”